The roots of ginseng (Panax ginseng, C. A. Mayer and other species) are widely used in the pharmaceutical, dietetic and cosmetic fields, either as such (for example pulverised for the preparation of infusions and decoctions) or in the form of derivatives such as, for example, extracts of various types (e.g. alcoholic or aqueous extracts either in liquid form or dried or atomized).
In view primarily of the variable nature of the roots, the lack of selectivity of the available extraction methods, and also the absence of a convenient method of analysis, presently available extracts do not have a sufficient constancy of activity, and thus of treatment effect.